Saint Mary's beacon., 1887-05-12

The cabbage worm is the product


The cabbage worm is the product
Of eggs depoe.:,j by the parent fly
upon the stem Of the young cabbage
plant near or just below the surface
OF the ground. The fly, Anthomyia
brassica. has the general appearance
of the common house-fy, but is small.
er, being but a quarter of an inch
long, and is Of an ash-grsy color,
with three blaek stripes on the tho
rax and one along the middle of the
body. It's ravages, as well known,
are the more serious from commenc.
ing, as they do often, upon the young
plants before they are transplanted,
and continuing until in the autumn
on the mature plants.
!. Tobacco dust, to be procured
from tobacco factories. sprinkled free
" over the young plants, is said to
prevent the deposit Of the eggs by the
fly.
2. Mr.. Peter Henderson claims that
he has been able to prevent the rava-
ges in his sample grounds where all
the varieties of cabbages and cauli-
flowers are tested, by preparing the
ground with a dressing of $50 bushels
OF oyster shell lime to the acre. In
one year when this had been neglect
ed, and formidable attack was made
upon the plants about the middle Of
May, it was at once arrested, by scrap
ing the soil from the stem of each
plant, dusting lime around it and
drawing up the ground again to the
stem. In addition, handful of qua
no was busted around every five or
six plants. Strong roots were made
above the wounds from the worms
and the crop was saved. The lime
preventive was the result Of l5 years
employment in successful cabbage cul-
ture. Where the oyster shell lime is
not attainable, its equivalent in stone
lime may be quite as efficient. { Rural
.NqC Yorkcr)
3. When gas lime can be obtained
as refuse from gas works, if worked
into the ground at a moderate depth
after its exposure for proper time,
it will effectually prevent the opera
tions of the worm.
i. Ammoniacsl liquor, another re-
fuse from gas manufacture, diluted
with twice its volume of water and
poured around the infested plants in
sufficient quantity to reach the roots
will kill the attacking larva. 1t will
be a fine fertilizer, also.
). A contributor, to the New Eng.
land Homestead has given this RENE.
dy: Take green burdock leaves and
stalks, run them through hay cutter
put them in a kettle or tub, and mash
them with an old ak or mall, adding
water and pounding them to pulp
Let it stand over night. Have the
decoction strong, and when you see
the first sign of the worm use it, and
you will find it dead shot for The
worm. Apply it with a sprinkler
taking off the nose, and pour the SO
luton along the rows. l seldom have
to apply it the second time" Th'
same remedy is recommended for tn,
onion worm, and it has, to my certain
knowledge, been proved effectua
against the attack Of the white grul
on strawberry plants.
6. a strong decoction of common
tansy, where it is abundant, woul,
probably be about as serviceable a
the burdock.
Z. A preventive Of attack that ha
been used in England with good re
suit is, dipping the plants in a puddl
OF cattle and COW, dung or night sol
so as to smear the roots and stem
we'll up to the leaves with the mix
ture.
s. Another English preventive i
to dip the stems in thick SCOT an
water. II appears to impart a bitter
ness to the plants that the worms d
not relish, and it is also found to war,
off attack from grub and cut-worms
9. Hellebore may be useful agains
cabbage (and onion and radish) worms
as it acts well in protecting tobacc
plants from eut-worms. In the latte
case, the young plants were dippe,
before setting out, in a solution O
white hellebore in water, one fourtl
of pound in ten quarts of water.
gentleman in West Meriden, CT, ol